Ideas for Australia

[Zaphodsotherhead]

Please can some Mumsnetters give me some ideas as to what I can send out to my DD in Oz?

I'm in the UK, she went out four years ago now and is settled and working in Melbourne (well, she is when not in lockdown). She comes back once every three years or so, but I want to send her out something for Christmas. Previously I've either put money in her account or sent her tiny light things, like earrings.

I want to send her something to remind her of home, that doesn't cost a fortune to post, is useful or pretty and all that, and preferably something that she can't get in Australia.

Any ideas?

Something that doesn't cost a fortune to post is your real dilemma!

How about a Cadbury's selection box, or some bars of Cadbury's chocolate - if she's a chocolate fan, Cadbury's chocolate in Australia tastes completely different to ours.

My sister lives in Melbourne too. I usually look at the Marks and Spencer Australian site and send something. They also do christmas decorations which I send. How is she coping with the new lockdown rules.

I actually think Australian chocolate is nicer than ours!

Chocolate is a bit tricky, I don't want it to melt in transit (it will be middle of summer out there when the stuff is in transit). But I will put a selection box on the list!

She's moved out of the city to her partner's parents down at Torquay and been working out of Geelong, @FlitterMouse, but now work has gone quiet she's been happily sitting it out on the coast! (She's an accountant).

With the M&S site, is it stuff that's generally available in Oz? I'd like to send her something harder to get out there (although she's really pining for Monster Munch and Pringles!)

John Lewis also deliver for £20 I think so that's worth looking at.

Although my philosophy on it is that you 'save' quite a bit of money by not seeing a family member who has emigrated. You aren't driving to see them, feeding them, buying them a theatre ticket etc so you should just send what you want to send. There is bound to be something she misses. For many people it's tea! I was once desperate for a tin of pink Vaseline.

She's got a regular supply of Yorkshire Tea (and, of course T2 in Melbourne), so tea isn't an issue.

I'm not loaded with money, hence wanting to keep the costs reasonable. John Lewis delivery is a good idea! I want something for her to open on Christmas day - decorations are lovely but by Christmas day it's a bit late for those. There's not a lot that she really misses from the UK, and, of course, it's midsummer so scarves and woolly things seem a bit daft.

Any suggestions from JL of something suitably festive?

You have to be careful with Australia, there’s lots of restrictions on sending food.
Try David Jones website and get them to deliver? Or try stores local to her. That’s what I do with my mil.

I know you can't send fresh food, but we've been all right with anything packaged up until now. I did think of a crisp selection box (she's not a big sweet eater but she does like her British crisps!) but haven't yet found one that will deliver to Australia, so maybe crisps are covered by the food restrictions (despite having nearly not natural ingredients in, as far as I can tell).

My DD is in Sydney and I've just sent a good parcel to her with DHL. Hoping that since everything is in a packet that it should be fine to enter Australia. Monster Munch are in there, as well as Bakewell tarts and some Cadbury's chocolate. The postage was £57 for a box that weighed under 4kg! Just hope it arrives ok!

I'm going way outta left field here
Touristy UK, so tea towels, spoons, a fridge magnet, the stuff you find in the type of souvenir shop
Small, fun, not to pricey I'd assume and it's a small reminder of home when she uses it or whatever
She may not miss a lot things wise but it's her homeland, her family is there, there a connection there.

Like I bitch and moan about the city I spent most of my life but I love my malls balls top or made in sa stuff as it's a cheeky/fun reference to a place I know well, have a connection too.

I will warn, overseas shipping taking ages according to my shopping habits so send well in advance, our postal service is swamped of late

Also, thus place claims world wide shipping
www.britishcornershop.co.uk/?gclid=CjwKCAjw2dD7BRASEiwAWCtCb31k9vafPR2GscORkjAobFQRejq4iQEwWlX1HmPFRu7ChpvYT9qnIxoCn_cQAvD_BwE

Yikes, fifty quid plus for a box! Well, needs must...

And Squeekums, that's a good idea, stuff that reminds her of home! I'm in North Yorkshire, so may visit the York TIO and find something that is useful and homely.

You have to be careful with Australia, there’s lots of restrictions on sending food.

^^This..

The fly-on the -wall TV programs about Australian customs/Agriculture don't exaggerate the reality..I've seen grown men and women almost reduced to tears by officials in Aus over the contents of a pot noodle they were carrying in their suitcase..

Good info here..

www.agriculture.gov.au/travelling/bringing-mailing-goods#:~:text=You%20may%20bring%20commercially%20prepared,%2C%20peppermints%2C%20marshmallows%20and%20liquorice.

How about posting pre-Christmas stuff? I usually send an advent calendar and light/soft (or very well wrapped!) Christmas baubles, to arrive by the beginning of December.

I bought this one for my London-missing family.

An advent calendar may be a good call! And the odd bauble, although she and her (Australian) partner don't usually bother with a tree - they are out and about too much at Christmas!

To me, Christmas is all about the cosy and being at home warm and snug in front of the fire. I struggle to get my head around a warm weather Christmas (despite having been out there just pre-Christmas a couple of years ago. Silent Night played by a brass band in Fremantle market was just so bizarre to me!)

We went for Christmas one year, and it was very strange! Not seeing Christmas lights in the shops or houses was odd. It's much lower key over there (or at least it was in Sydney), mainly I presume because it's much lighter during the day/early evening.

I have relatives in Australia as well. I tend to order stuff from Australian stores such as Target to reduce delivery costs. Maybe send it to bf so he can wrap it for her.

@Standrewsschool - I'd rather get her stuff from over here, because she earns tonnes more money than I do and she can just buy herself anything she sees that she likes over there. I just want to get her small stuff that's nice and will remind her of home.

And yes, @BIWI - I think part of her problem is that they don't really celebrate in the same way over there! They have a big family barbecue and go to the beach or all sit round the pool playing frisbee. It will probably be a lot lower key this year (and her partner's family have suffered a bereavement recently which will mean things are quieter), but it's still very alien to her, even after four years!

Could you offer to pay for a meal out? My Mum in UK often shouts us a meal, we are in NZ, rather than a gift.

I have been in NZ since 2003 but still find Christmas with sun very weird. BBQs as opposed to turkey will never seem like Christmas.

A One Hundred Stars kimono. Pretty, light, impossible to get posted here (believe me I tried!) and perfect for wafting around a beachy place like Torquay.

Mum always used to send our local village calendar. Printed photos/magnets/mug with photos on. Silly socks.
Little pack of things to open really. It’s nice that it’s sunny as otherwise it feels like a really long way from home!

I'm across the water in NZ and from N Yorks too.
I'd suggest not food - because of the import restrictions, but also Melbourne is a foodie Mecca with amazing delis and restaurants.

Love the idea of something local, calendar, tea-towel, WI cookbook, jigsaw.

John Lewis has a great range and deliver for a fee (though not to NZ at the moment), the M&S local site has a Christmas range that might be worth looking at.

@FiveShelties - that's what I usually do, I send her money, but it's not the same as something to open for Christmas! I was out earlier this year (got back JUST before lockdown) and took her out for meals then, so it feels less special somehow.

She's not really a kimono person, Binky. Nor particularly sentimental over home (and our village is too tiny to have its own tea towel or calendar. Nearest town does its own Christmas card, which I may send).

I'm going to look at John Lewis and see if anything springs to mind. A Yorkshire cook book might be fun too, but, as @LuubyLuu says, the food in Melbourne is so fabulous that she doesn't really need to make good solid Yorkshire food! Although she did surprise her partner with Yorkshire pudding once. (He's never been to England. He's in for a shock...)

There is this place in Melbourne cbd which might post for you within Australia?

treatsfromhome.com.au/

Then she gets her british food hit but you shouldn't have to pay quite as much as postage from here.

Thank you, @tentative! I've seen that they do Pickled Onion Monster Munch, which I know she is craving! This might be a good option...